BAT ATTACKWarwick Police responded to the parking lot of 1256 Warwick Ave. on May 10 in response to several calls reporting a male armed with a baseball bat that was damaging vehicles and yelling. Officers cleared the area as the suspect refused orders to drop the bat and threatened to shoot police with an AK-47 assault rifle. Sgt. Mark Canning ordered a nearby elementary school locked down as a precaution as the suspect ran toward the school, but the teenager was quickly subdued after he tripped and fell. One officer was struck with a bat but apparently not seriously injured. Witnesses to the scene cited ongoing mental issues as a cause of the outburst. Misdemeanor assault charges against the juvenile are pending inFamily Court.

EMBEZZLEMENTOfficer Christopher Lo was dispatched to Dick’s Sporting Goods on Bald Hill Road on May 9 for a reported embezzlement there. He said he met with the loss prevention manager for the store who told him he confronted an employee in the parking lot who had $1,160 worth of unpaid-for store merchandise in a cart that he was taking to his car. He said the employee confessed to the theft and admitted he had more merchandise he did not pay for in the trunk of his car and even the Nike sneakers on his feet. The manger told Lo they recovered an additional $2,882 worth of lacrosse equipment from his car. The manager said the employee also confessed that he had an estimated $4,000 more in store property at his home. The manager said he had video of the employee taking goods from the store without paying for it. Neal Yeatman, 56, of 572 Wilbur Ave. in Cranston was charged with embezzlement and later released on $5,000 personal recognizance.

SHOPLIFTINGDayna Lee Manzi, 29, of 128 Hines Farm in Cranston was arrested at Macy’s in the Warwick Mall on May 6 after security at the store told police she removed a charm from its package in the jewelry department and put it in a shopping bag she was carrying and then went to the shoe department where she took a pair of shoes and concealed them in the bag. The charm and the shoes were worth $147. She was later released with a summons for District Court.Lisa M. Sweeney, 38, of 51 Fourth St. in Cranston was detained by Wal-Mart security on May 11 after security told police she took $4.16 worth of candles and concealed them in her purse before leaving the store without paying for them. Security said they did not want to press charges for that amount of merchandise but did want Sweeney to be told not to return to the store. But, Officer Matthew Higgins learned that Sweeny had a warrant out for failure to appear in District Court and was taken to headquarters to wait for the Bail Commissioner.A Providence woman was charged with felony shoplifting on May 12 after she was arrested at the TJ Maxx store on Bald Hill Road. Security at the store said they were familiar with the woman and suspected but never caught her shoplifting until then. They told police she tried to walk out without paying for $148 worth of merchandise. Officer Brian Chianese reported he learned she had a prior conviction for shoplifting in 1993. Brigida Tirado, 54, of 39 Bristol Ave. was later released on $1,000 personal recognizance.Lori Anne Conti, 45, of 34 Harding St. in West Warwick was charged as a habitual offender after she was accused of shoplifting at the Wal-Mart store on Bald Hill Road on May 8.Security at the store told police they recovered $76.90 worth of merchandise she left the store without paying for. She was also charged with failure to appear for a prior arrest in Cranston for the same offense. She was later released on $1,000 surety bail.Linda G. Mitchell, 56, of 46 Sharon Dr. in Coventry was charged with obtaining money under false pretenses at Kohl’s store in the Rhode Island Mall on May 5. Security told police they saw her take an empty Kohl’s bag and fill it with four towels, four decorative towels and two ceramic holders and present them at the return desk for a merchandise credit of $86.37. She was charged at headquarters and released with a summons for District Court.Qin Zhu, 42, of 41 Sycamore Dr. in West Warwick was charged with shoplifting at the TJ Maxx store on Bald Hill Road on May 6. Security told police she concealed two necklaces and two bracelets and a pair of leggings worth a total of $88.40 in her pockets before attempting to leave without paying for them. She was later released with a summons.Stephanie M. Eliason, 24, of 38 Whipple Ave. in Warwick was charged with shoplifting at Claire’s in the Warwick Mall on May 4. Security at the store told police they saw her remove rings and earrings from cards and conceal the jewelry before attempting to leave without paying for the goods. She was charged with stealing $52.50 worth of goods and held for the Bail Commissioner.Mary Ann Tipple, 35, of 550 Providence St. in West Warwick was charged with being a habitual offender on May 8 after she was arrested at the Sears store in the Rhode Island Mall. Security told police she went through the store, selecting various types of merchandise and concealing the goods before attempting to leave through the patio entrance. Security told police they recovered 27 items worth a total of $1,386.84. She was charged with felony shoplifting and being a habitual offender with over 20 prior arrests.

ATTEMPTEDA woman from Felton, Del. was arrested at Kent Hospital on May 10 and charged with attempting to steal three IV needle and catheter kits after a nurse who was helping her undress found them concealed in her pants. The woman told Officer Patrick Smith she was taking them to lance an abscess on a friend. Security at the hospital told Smith the woman came to the hospital with her boyfriend who they found passed out behind the wheel of a minivan in a handicapped spot for the emergency room earlier. Smith said he ran a check on the Dodge Caravan and it came back as stolen out of Delaware but that the people in Delaware did not want to press charges and only wanted the vehicle recovered. The vehicle was towed and Katherine MacNeil, 28, of 96 Jack Dr. in Felton was charged with attempted larceny and held for the next session of District Court.

LARCENY CHARGEDOfficer Christopher Fernandes reported arresting a North Providence man who was stopped on Pequot Avenue around 12:45 a.m. on May 7. Fernandes said someone called police and told dispatch he found the man rifling through a car on Pequot and confronted him. He told police the man continued walking toward Suburban Avenue. Fernandes said he found him on Hewitt Avenue and the man continued walking when he was told to stop and picked up his pace as Fernandes ran toward him. Fernandes said the man’s pockets were bulging with a number of items that apparently had been gathered as the man went from one vehicle to another, including a quantity of coins and device chargers. Fernandes reported that the man initially told him his name was Richard Hamilton but eventually admitted his name was Adam Humphrey and he lied because he knew there were warrants out for him. Humphrey, 26, of 49 Lewis St. in North Providence was charged with larceny. Fernandes said he admitted that he was a heroin addict and they found a needle and syringe on his person. He was held for the next session of District Court.